Do Celebrity Care – NO!

[deise17311]

I always tell my staff, if you have an issue also come to me with a possible solution...if the OP does not want any compensation, i.e. obc etc., then what do they want...a phone call to scream is clearly not on the agenda...as for the poster about postponing a cruise, do you not live in the US? In the US, there is not way Celebrity would tell you no...you would just cancel and rebook at a later date...

[wallie5446]

hi,

I am thinking the same thing at the moment.. and I will let you know soon I hope.. if I can get any response from celebrity..

we have booked and paid a deposit on a cruise in December this year on Celebrity Solstice, so still some 4 months away..

due to circumstances beyond my control, I have recently been laid off due to the company I had been working for " downsizing ",

now that I need to start a new job, I may not be able to get time away so close to Christmas with short notice for the new employer..

so we approached celerity about the possibility of postponing our cruise to a later date, and transferring the deposit over..

we initially called the " customer service " line, to be told.. point blank.. " NO"

NOTE: we do not want to cancel the trip, just postpone it..

plus at this early stage, no tickets have been issued yet..

 

 

I can understand if they wanted to charge a small administration fee to change the booking, but to simply say.. NO.. is giving us NO incentive to re-book with Celebrity again..

as you will see in my signature, we have cruised with other lines, that we have enjoyed, however, based on reviews that we had read about celebrity, and their " Great" customer service, we thought that we would give them a try..

I know that they have policies, and its not like we just changed our mind.. we

want to take this cruise, and are disappointed that we may not be able to..

we have now emailed Celebrity to voice our disappointment at their lack of willingness to assist, and hope to get a response from them soon..

 

I will let you know

You have not made final pymt yet, right?

[Priya2]

I always tell my staff, if you have an issue also come to me with a possible solution...if the OP does not want any compensation, i.e. obc etc., then what do they want...a phone call to scream is clearly not on the agenda...as for the poster about postponing a cruise, do you not live in the US? In the US, there is not way Celebrity would tell you no...you would just cancel and rebook at a later date...

I think that poster is seeking not to lose their deposit, but to be able to transfer it. I hope Celebrity considers doing this for them. It seems a reasonable request given that they simply want to transfer it to a different date. In the UK, deposits with Celebrity are non-refundable. Is that not the case in the US?

[wallie5446]

After reading this thread I must admit to wondering about my decision to take a full transit Panama cruise on Celebrity next spring.I do realise that small things such as flowers on the table, afternoon tea and Baked Alaska are not of objective importance. However, my DH is physically challenged and has difficulty going on shore excursions so small niceties DO make a difference in his enjoyment of a cruise as he most often has to stay on board. Good speakers, attention to service at table,choice of menus in the MDR, a good room steward do affect his enjoyment.

 

We have cruised on both HAL & Princess lately, with HAL coming out slightly ahead because of the size of the staterooms (we cannot afford a balcony on HAL because we tend to take longer cruises ) , room service food available at all times....

 

 

We chose Celebrity because we were able to reserve a "sweet sixteen" cabin at a reasonable rate so that he can sit on the balcony while traversing the Panama Canal.Plus we received the 123 beverage package which will most certainly contribute to our enjoyment. But do you think we will enjoy the amenities, and especially the food? Please do not flame. Should we consider another line? This full transit is on his bucket list but as we are on a limited income we cannot consider the "premium" lines . HAL, Celebrity, Princess, RCI , Cunard (in outside but not balcony cabin) are the lines we can afford. Thank you for your advice.

You will wonder why you waited so long to sail Celebrity. In this case one apple does not ruin the bucket:)

[wallie5446]

I think that poster is seeking not to lose their deposit, but to be able to transfer it. I hope Celebrity considers doing this for them. It seems a reasonable request given that they simply want to transfer it to a different date. In the UK, deposits with Celebrity are non-refundable. Is that not the case in the US?

100% deposit return if canceled before final is due. For our Nov sailing we can do this with no penalty till Sept 1st.

[ozzycruiser15]

I think that poster is seeking not to lose their deposit, but to be able to transfer it. I hope Celebrity considers doing this for them. It seems a reasonable request given that they simply want to transfer it to a different date. In the UK, deposits with Celebrity are non-refundable. Is that not the case in the US?

 

Thank you! Exactly! We do not expect a refund.. Just the option to transfer it to another cruise, so that we still have the opportunity to cruise with celebrity.

We have booked for 3 people, and paid $1200 Australian as deposit.. No we have not paid the final payment yet.

They still have plenty of time to re-book our room ( balcony ) so I doubt they will be out of pocket.

They will most probably just be happy to take our $1200 for doing next to nothing....

Although I hope that they can assist, I doubt they will..

[sandancer]

I think that poster is seeking not to lose their deposit, but to be able to transfer it. I hope Celebrity considers doing this for them. It seems a reasonable request given that they simply want to transfer it to a different date. In the UK, deposits with Celebrity are non-refundable. Is that not the case in the US?

Ozzycruiser booked in Australia. It may be that the same rules apply as in the UK. i.e. no refund of deposit even if cancelled within 24 hours of booking. Hower, in the UK you can transfer the deposit to another cruise providing the new cruise costs as much or more than the original cruise. They also charge £75 pp admin fee.

[ozzycruiser15]

We are in Australia.. Told no refund, no transferring over phone with the australian service desk..they didn't even want to hear our reasons.. As I posted, we have emailed celebrity directly, and are now waiting for a response.

[Priya2]

100% deposit return if canceled before final is due. For our Nov sailing we can do this with no penalty till Sept 1st.

Wow! As a Brit, I can't help feeling a bit miffed :confused:

[ozzycruiser15]

We are in Australia.. Told no refund, no transferring over phone with the australian service desk..they didn't even want to hear our reasons.. As I posted, we have emailed celebrity directly, and are now waiting for a response.

May I also note, we booked directly with celebrity, not a travel agent.. Are the various countries all that different with refund policies, considering they are all the same cruiseline??

[deise17311]

May I also note, we booked directly with celebrity, not a travel agent.. Are the various countries all that different with refund policies, considering they are all the same cruiseline??

 

I think it's because of different laws that apply...

[ozzycruiser15]

I think it's because of different laws that apply...

I have until recently managed a store.. And refund policy guidelines are not fixed. There are governed minimum entitlements,is: if it's faulty, or not as described,: full refund applies, but at the end of the day, the rest is up to the individual company.

And again, I state: we do not want a refund!

[CruisingChick]

I didn't realize that it was so hard "to try and find a new cruise line". ;)

 

I never said that it was "hard" to find a new cruise line I said I would hate to have to find a new cruise line as we are Elite on Celebrity and have loved their product in the past. We could try RCCL as at least we would get Diamond perks.

[kendon]

Sadly, perhaps the "best" days of cruising may be behind us. Cutbacks everywhere.

 

I think someone hit the nail on the head by saying that Celebrity markets one way but doesn't deliver. "X" just doesn't stand for luxury or a premium cruise experience anymore.

[The_Big_M]

May I also note, we booked directly with celebrity, not a travel agent.. Are the various countries all that different with refund policies, considering they are all the same cruiseline??

 

The refund period is not because of different laws. Each country is a different operation and has their own rules. The US is generally the most generous in terms of cancelling, mostly due to competition historically.

 

This is one thing they're usually not flexible on. When people write about positive customer service, it's usually because of some error or non-delivery that needs to be fixed. But asking for special consideration against their policies... a bit tougher to achieve.

[The_Big_M]

But do you think we will enjoy the amenities, and especially the food? Please do not flame. Should we consider another line? This full transit is on his bucket list but as we are on a limited income we cannot consider the "premium" lines . HAL, Celebrity, Princess, RCI , Cunard (in outside but not balcony cabin) are the lines we can afford. Thank you for your advice.

 

It's hard to say. I suggest you look at some recent menus to get an idea.

 

For me, there was a significant feeling of penny pinching, with poorer quality choices in dishes, a less appealing menu, plus a fair few things missing in the dining room over the past few years that had made Celebrity appear upscale, different, and out of the ordinary.

 

The buffet breakfast was especially disappointing. As a simple example, there were only 3-4 choices of cereal regularly available (rice bubble, corn flakes, and oats) and no muesli. Granola and raisin bran were only available on a few days, and sometimes only one station on one side of the buffet would have them. You had to do laps to check each side when one was unavailable, and then it was time wasting as some days neither had them.

 

It's minor of itself, but it's part of the enjoyment, just like having a range of wines. Imagine if they only had one red, and one white to go with dinner! Of course, that's not going to happen since it's a revenue item.

 

But it's the first mainstream cruise line with such a limited selection of cereals - and never used to be that poverty stricken that that was the case.

[deise17311]

I have until recently managed a store.. And refund policy guidelines are not fixed. There are governed minimum entitlements,is: if it's faulty, or not as described,: full refund applies, but at the end of the day, the rest is up to the individual company.

And again, I state: we do not want a refund!

 

I get it, I was just stating that Celebrity has different policies for different countries...for whatever reason...maybe you got a bad rep...call back

[Priya2]

I think it's because of different laws that apply...

That could only be the case if US law requires a full refund without exception. Many other companies in the UK give full refunds, at the least until the final balance is due. On hotels, it would be up to 24 hours before the booked stay!

[blueboro]

Darcie I agree with you about the buffet at lunch time and I have written to Celebrity to voice my concerns over this matter. Maybe they are trying to push people into going to Bistro on 5 or sometimes one of the Specialty Restaurants will have lunch for $25 on a sea day.

 

Also agree that activities on my last 2 cruises were disappointing.

 

I hope Celebrity takes these concerns seriously and tries to improve these areas. I would hate to have to try and find a new cruise line.

 

 

I am a little confused on the feeling that the buffet items don't change enough. They have a deli station, salad station, pizza/pasta, several warm food/cafeteria style stations, cheeses, desserts, breads, and more. Last time there was an area that changed daily from Asian, Mexican, Indian, etc. Not sure what more people want. Go to your favorite restaurant or deli and they have typically the same menu every day...and I venture to guess the selections on X buffet are more numerous than that local restaurant or deli. So, unless the buffet has changed that drastically in the past 14 months since I sailed the Eclipse I don't understand what you expect.

[deise17311]

That could only be the case if US law requires a full refund without exception. Many other companies in the UK give full refunds, at the least until the final balance is due. On hotels, it would be up to 24 hours before the booked stay!

 

True, however it is my understanding that Celebrity does not issue refunds of deposits in the UK and other countries like it does in the Us...I was just giving a possibility of why....not stating it was fact...

[NLH Arizona]

I am a little confused on the feeling that the buffet items don't change enough. They have a deli station, salad station, pizza/pasta, several warm food/cafeteria style stations, cheeses, desserts, breads, and more. Last time there was an area that changed daily from Asian, Mexican, Indian, etc. Not sure what more people want. Go to your favorite restaurant or deli and they have typically the same menu every day...and I venture to guess the selections on X buffet are more numerous than that local restaurant or deli. So, unless the buffet has changed that drastically in the past 14 months since I sailed the Eclipse I don't understand what you expect.

Well said. I cruised last November and didn't seem to have a problem finding something to eat at the buffet! LOL!

[phoenix_dream]

You beat me to it!! I was just thinking that could have been my 2012 Summit cruise! I did fill out the questionaire at the end of the cruise and two weeks later I got a call from a customer service rep. She did say that there were many complaints from that ship experience. My first, and last Celebrity cruise.

I also had a cruise on Summit in 2012 which was by far my worst Celebrity cruise ever (mine was in very late November). The usual Celebrity experience is far and away better than I experienced on that cruise (and I have sailed Celebrity over 20 times). My point is that you may choose to make it your last if you want to, but you can rest assured that you did not encounter the usual Celebrity experience. I also understand from further reviews and reading of these boards that the Summit issues have been resolved. In fact on our cruise on Solstice in March of this year, the Captains Club hostess was aware of the Summit issues and talked about change in management on that ship to address the problems.

[kobecat]

Let me start by saying I am pleased I changed my area from "Perth" Western Australia to "North Beach" Western Australia some time ago!

 

We were on 3 B2B cruises on the Constellation commencing 1 June so I think we would have been on the Baltic cruise following the OP. This was followed by Arctic Circle and Norway.

 

We were in the same cabin for the three cruises, 7066 which was serviced by the most wonderful team we have had - Veejay and Agostino. I agree there was white paint splatter on our balcony railing and down the side of the ship structure. Yes we did notice and comment on it. End of story.

 

The buffet area is always crowded at breakfast and yes sometimes you do need to ensure one of you stays at the table, or you leave a book or something on the table. No big deal. Food was fine I thought.

 

We did anytime dining and had fantastic wait staff. I agree the food was not always to my liking and I do remember the fish dish with the beans which was not nice! I did not care for the buffet at night.

 

We are all different; we loved the cruise director and at the end of our 36 days, we still laughed when he said: "ladies and gentleman, if you were even thinking of missing the show, tomorrow night is not the night to do it!!!"

 

We were lucky in that on our second cruise the Activities Staff Manager (Tyler) went on leave. His replacement was a fantastic Brit named Mark. Fabulous, fabulous.

 

We are Princess elite as well as Celebrity elite and I admit to being disappointed with our Island Princess cruise through the Panama in March for various reasons.

 

Was I disappointed with the Constellation - not a bit.

 

I also remember that one of our early cruises in 2000 was 7 nights on the Rhapsody of the Seas to Alaska. We paid AU$1800 each for the very worst category inside cabin. This cruise we paid about AU$2000 each for 12 nights in a balcony. Sorry but something has to give in such a competitive market.

 

In Australia we do get full refunds of any money paid up to 151 days out from sailing date. I find this difference between us and the US very annoying. It was explained to me by the Operations Manager in Australia that it is because that is what Australian passengers want!!! I don't think so.

 

I agree it is difficult to get a response from Celebrity Australia. We went to the lengths of posting on their Facebook page and that got an immediate response - this after various emails and phone calls. You shouldn't have to go to those lengths.

 

It is a pity the OP did not talk to the on board Marketing Manager, Millie. She was extremely accommodating and fixed a small problem that I had not been able to get resolved almost instantly.

 

I also agree about the Beyond the Podium speakers - they were not great and I too was disappointed not to have specialists for the area.

 

Beryl

[Priya2]

That's really interesting. Were there problems for a while on the Summit caused simply by poor management of hotel services? Glad to hear the cause has been resolved!

[Mark_K]

That could only be the case if US law requires a full refund without exception. Many other companies in the UK give full refunds, at the least until the final balance is due. On hotels, it would be up to 24 hours before the booked stay!

It's indirectly caused by differing laws. The consumer protection laws in the UK, Australia, etc. give consumers more rights than in the US. RCCL chooses to "even the score" so to speak, by having additional restrictions.

 

 

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